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Thursday, August 27, 2009

There's never a dull moment when you're around Sean from Rawland. At any given time there are tons of ideas floating around in that guy's head. It's an absolute blast to watch and aid in bringing these ideas to fruition. From the humble beginnings with an Interbike booth and a frame set, to this year's line up of 2 bike models in 7 sizes, the new Elgoske bullmoose bars, and now these. Without further adieu, here they are, the Rawland Antlers.Based on countless miles on Nitto Mustache bars, these represent what we feel are some really worthwhile changes to the classic form. First off, these bars are wider. Whereas the Nitto bars are designed for class road or touring riding, Rawland bikes and products are designed to be ridden hard, and off road. Wider bars aid in stability, as well as providing more control at high speed. The added leverage is also beneficial for technical trail navigating and climbing. Following these lines, the Antlers measure a full 70cm tip to tip. These end up being slightly narrower than the Jones bars or Salsa ProMoto 17 deg bars I have run for with success for years.

Mustache bars also are comfortable due to the variety of hand positions available. Antlers still allow for all of the traditional mustache bar positions. These are designed to use mountain style brake levers and shifters.

Dummy ala Antlers.These seem to be a perfect match for how I ride this bike. They have lots of hand positions, are wide and upright for town riding, stiff yet not punishing for out of the saddle climbing, and in general just look great.Tape is a new color from Cinelli's gel line. I really like it.

Nice wide cruiser aesthetic. Townie yet bad ass. I'm really happy with them so far. Shiny view from riding. Etched Rawland logo.So there they are. Another in a what hopefully will be a long line of classy, functional products from Rawland. These are due to be in stock in a few weeks. Shoot Sean and Anna an email if you'd like a set. They are accepting preorders now. Cheers.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

I like single speeds. I like riding single speeds on dirt. I like riding single speed on the road as well. Whether you're a single speed die hard, or someone just starting out, you owe it to yourself to own at least one Surly. As with all of Surly's products, the Steamroller offers a ton of value for the dollar. They offer frames that can take up to a 38c tire, or smaller tires with fenders, (clip ons.) The steel frames ride really well, and it offers clean, classic lines.

A few years ago Surly started offering complete bikes. These are speced with what I consider to be really smart parts. Universally they offer reliable components, great wheels, and really great performance for the dollar. The Steamroller is a perfect example of that. Surly hubs laced to nice rims, a decent bar/seatpost/stem combo, and other nice parts round out the build.

There have been an increasingly large number of people around here actually starting to ride fixed gear bikes outside of town. These usually represent semi serious roadriders looking for a little something different with their training, or enthusiasts just looking to mix things up a bit. While the Surly spec on the bike is really a good base for running around town, I've always recommended two brakes for extended fixed gear riding. While your front brake offers the majority of your stopping power, having the rear as a drag as you're going downhill tired can be a lifesaver.

So here it is, how we think a Steamroller should be set up. This is a perfect bike to run around the coffee shop or brewery loop Saturday, lay down a nice 30 miler on Sunday, and get you to work Monday morning.Standard issue Surly Tuggnut.Traditional TT cable guides.Had a good breakfast this morning while looking over the new 2010 catalogs. What's that frame in the background? ;)

Jim sent up these pics of his Karate Monkey gravel rides near Crane Lake, (way, way north of here.) Awesome shots, and really nice looking roads!Elevation chart. Thank you Garmin. Route map. Way up there.If you have ride shots you think are particularly fun, send them in. I starting a photo Friday post of readers ride shots would be fun to try. If you're interested, send your photos to benwitt11@gmail.com attention Photo Friday. Cheers.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

It's been a busy few weeks here at the shop. Repair work continues to keep us on our toes, Rawland Interbike preparations are in full swing, and 2010 bikes are on their way. We're due to receive 36 bikes from Trek for the weekend. Mostly they are bread and butter Trek hybrids, but there are a few goodies in there for good measure. I'll be posting about those when we get them unpacked.

As the new year is upon us, we are having a sale. All remaining 2009 bikes in the shop are 15-30 percent off! We have a large selection of Trek's basic mountain bike, the 3700. These were $349.99, and are on closeout for $274.99! A heck of a deal on a great bike for around town, kids getting to school, or any other general riding needs. Here are a few other highlights and good deals for year's end.

Gary Fisher 17.5" Xcal. Was $1599.99, now $1250.00Gary Fisher 17.5" Wahoo Disc. Was $729.99, now $649.99All Redlines in the shop are 15% off as well. Save good money on some really nice bikes.

Tonight we'll have another addition of the Wednesday night social. It's raining quite nicely, so I'm not sure we'll be grilling. The beer'll be cold, and there'll be something to eat, so stop on by! 6pm to close this evening. Here are a few shots from last week to entice your appetites.

A fine selection.Charcoal grilled spiral cut ham. Definitely bike shop gourmet! Served on a German Ham plate compliments of our good friend, the illustrious Mr. Boyce.

Friday, August 07, 2009

It's one of those quiet rainy mornings around here. It's still raining now and I've heard we passed the inch mark long ago. We really need the rain, so it's more than welcome. Today we have another Cross Check coming in for the weekend, along with a Surly Creamroller Steamroller as well. So it's all good going into the weekend here. Have a good Friday.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

The first Milltown Wednesday Night Social was a great success. We had about 15 people down here for a few hours of good beer and wine, chicken and sirloin kabobs from the bike shop gourmet, ogling new bikes from Salsa and parts from SRAM, hot laps with the canoe laden Big Dummy, and other general tomfoolery!

There was a lot of prep work that went into last night. First off, Curtis and I have been sorely disappointed with our grill of late. Despite thorough cleaning, it's just not cutting it. With kabobs on the menu, and as any serious griller knows,charcoal was in order. Thankfully Ace Hardware is about 3 blocks away. The store didn't have any Weber grills in a box. No matter for the Big Dummy. One strap on the Wideloaders and a 40lb bag of charcoal on the other and that was it. Got some looks on the way back, it was good. I love this bike. I wanted people to be able to try out the canoe system. Turned out it was also a good way to get a bike, a Coleman cooler, and an old rocking chair down to the shop. The ride from Northfield in the morning was a bit slow to say the least. Every hilltop made me feel like Superman though! There's just something satisfying about hauling around a whole bunch of stuff. The whole ride I had people hanking and waving, a lot of thumbs up along the way. There were quite a few open jawed stares as well. Dinner and beverages were passed out when people arrived and it was a nice relaxing night. All in all I'm quite happy with how everything turned out. Unless something changes, I think we'll be doing this for some time. We hope to see you next week if you were unable to make it this time. Same gig, 6-10pm at the shop. Curt and I will be serving up a bone in ham on the grill. Should be another good one. Cheers.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

DT just released a new pawl set for their premium 240 and 440 series hubs that doubles the engagement points. These came and sold out quick, but we have a few sets if you need any. Wanna give them a try? Give us a call! $36 plus shipping.

The brown Santa is dropping a huge order of goodies at the shop today. We'll be in a mad flurry to get it all set up before tomorrow night, but it'll get done. We're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night, stop on down!

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Curtis and I have been pretty busy this week. We've finally finished one of the back work benches, which means we again have a functional vise. If anyone has ever tried to be a bike mechanic without a vice, they know it's do able, but stupid. I'm excited to have that back, as it makes such simply things as changing freewheels much easier. We've also added some new products to the shop this week.

In addition to the standard Trek fare, we are now stocking the Lazer Helmet line in the shop. I've had a Lazer Genesis helmet for several years now. I really like the fit and finish, the weight, and the comfort it affords. With the Rollsis Fit System it's easy to transition from a thin cap in summer, to a thicker hat at night or in winter. The helmet is also shaped so that even from the drops you have a completely free field of vision. Even on my MTB that's something I've really come to value. It's by far the best helmet I've ever used, and I'm really excited to have these in the shop. Also in stock, Lazer's award winning O2 helmet. This helmet offers much of theit and comfort of the Genesis series, but at a lower pricepoint. Stop by and check one out for yourself. What's your head worth?The other big news is the arrival of some tasty new bikes. With August here, summer's over, kind of, we've got Cross on the mind. Newly arriving this week will be a Cross Check complete or two, and a Chili con Crosso from Salsa!

The Cross Check Complete is a killer value for the dollar. Sporting a great mix of performance and longevity inspired parts, this bike is set up from the go to be a dead ringer performer. Shifting via bar ends provides positive shifting in all manner of much and grime, while solid wheels rolling on Deore hubs keep things going tarmac, pave, or terra-firma. With a supple steel frame and loads of tire clearance, and full braze-ons, this bike can do just about anything. We'll hvae their basic black color in stock, but it is also offered in the rich Beef Gravy Brown for those so inclined.The Chili Con Crosso is a weapon right out of the box. From the Scandium frame and Alpha Q carbon fork, to the full Rival grouppo this bike is ready to rip it up on course. Specifically designed with cross racing in mind, things like a contoured TT for shouldering, TT cable routing, and loads of mud clearance will have you chasing cowbell hills in no time. The color is truly a knock out this year, and the performance for the dollar can't be questioned.The other exciting bike coming Tuesday is Salsa's Podio Complete. Offering a similar parts spec to the Chili, this bike also exudes performance for the dollar. Light, stiff, and responsive, this thing comes ready for club rides to weekend jaunts. Both bikes come with steering and saddle compartments from Salsa's great Moto Ace Line, and the WTB saddles are custom embroidered to match. These are really great bikes, stop in and check them out.All of these will be ready to go and assembled Tuesday, and we'll have them on display in time for the first Wednesday Night Social. I've gotten a lot of good response to the Wednesday night thing, I hope turnout will be high, and we should have a great time! With all of the fun stuff happening lately, stop in a check it out for yourself. Cheers.